Is this Love, or is it?
by shiroi white-phoenix
Summary: 'He always looked at her as friend, best friend, teammate, and sister. Nothing less and nothing more than that. So why…' New Year fanfic. Main pairing: GouenjiShi RomncR/FmlyR and others pairings warning inside the story. Rate T for safety. I hope you enjoy the story


**Me: Hey guys! I'm back! This time also a New Year fanfic like before! Soo~ how was the Christmas fic for this year? Good enough?**

**Shi: (scoff) please, Shiro. Who will be pleased by reading it?**

**Me: -3- meany!**

**Shi: and I don't care what you said.**

**Me: humph! By the way this is GouenjixShi story again! XD but not in that content, YET! I'm doing something a little bit new in this story. Honestly, not really new, but not too much. You'll see soon. Anyway, here are the other pairings warning else the main pairing :D**

**-KidoAoi FmlyR&RomncR**

**-FideoAoi RomncR**

**-ShadowHikari RomncR**

**-HiroMido RomncR**

**-EndoKaze RomncR**

**-TobiTora RomncR**

**-TsuTachi RomncR**

**-FudoSaku RomncR**

**-SomeFubu RomncR**

**-ShiAki FrndS**

**And any further about the relationship definitions can be seen in my profile at the very bottom of it. Oh and by the way, Shi, Gouenji, disclaimer.**

**Shi: WHAT?! US AGAIN?!**

**Me: well, you both are the main pairing of this story… (smiled sheepishly)**

**Shi: (face steaming in anger) urgh! I'm going to get you for this, Shiro!**

**Me: Only if you could. (Laughed) Anyway, just do it, will you?**

**Shi: grrrr….. I swear when I get my hands on you….!**

**Gouenji: (sigh) Shi, let's just do it okay? I don't like this either, but the faster is better. Sooner this end, better it will be for both of us.**

**Shi: …. (Exhaled a sigh) I hate it when you had the point.**

**Gouenji: (chuckled) I know.**

**Shi and Gouenji: Shiro doesn't own IE!**

* * *

><p><strong>Is this Love, or is it?<strong>

Just right in the dark, ordinary small room, with a dirty soccer ball laying innocently on the floor near the window, where the light of the moon become the only source of light in the darkness. The young lad that is laying on the bed in the room, suddenly stiffed as the moonlight hit his face, since he's facing the said window, before turned his body backed away from the annoying light to continue his peaceful sleep. However, when he swung his hand to the other side of the bed, instead feeling the mattress of his bed, it fall on the solid thing, let him felt the silk of satin and few stray of hairs- wait, hairs? Isn't he supposed to be on the bed, _alone_?

At this, he tried his best to open his sleepy eyes. It's still dark outside and the moon still present in the dark sky, obvious from the light condition of the room. But however, the thing that catches by his onyx orbs is not only his room, but a figure body right in front of him, sleeping, in a satin night gown and long light blue-

This make a good job to make him full awake himself. He hurriedly woke up from his bed and scrambled away from the female figure that just calmly sleeping on his bed, with the nightgown that so unlike her, her eyes closed and her breath is steady, and her light blue bangs fall to the side because of gravity, but somehow it makes her looked cute and-

No, no, no… he didn't just think that, did he?! He can't think like that about her! But moreover, how the heck this can happening?! Because last time he remembered, he's sleeping alone on his bed while all of his friends took the other guest rooms in Shi's house while the owner of the house slept in the master room, which is quite far from his room. And how the heck she climbed on his bed without him noticed? He's not that heavy sleeper, so he should be noticed when the girl decided to sleep with him, without him noticing.

However, to his horror (and clearly not helping his panic), the slim figure in front of him start to shift on the bed and slowly, her pale eyelids are opened, revealed a pair of stunning blue sapphire orbs filled with sleepiness and obviously she hasn't yet gathered her conscious. But, when she noticed Gouenji on the bed and full awake, instead of kicking him off the bed and scrambled off to hers, she only looked at him with the same sleepiness through her half lidded orbs, but there's something that sparked in them as she kept staring at him, and he then noticed there's gentleness and tenderness that is not so her, as the usual thing that he sees in her orbs are coldness and hardness.

Moreover, the next thing is the one that shocked him the most. The coldest female and soccer player in their team is just smiling at him. It just like a sleepy smile, but it's a smile nonetheless, and he wouldn't admit it to the heart that she looks stunning right now in front of him.

"Mmh…." Damn, he never knew her sleepy voice is _sexy_. "What's wrong? Can't sleep?" the girl pushed her body of the mattress as she speak, her long hair followed her head movements in gentle motion, and God does he itching to run his fingers on those soft beautiful locks.

But then, he snapped out of him as his head screaming, and he tried his best to regain him composure, tried to not look as he just affected by the sexy figure in front of him. "W-what are you doing here on my bed?!" he wanted to scream, he really wanted to, but the awareness of the rest of their teammates in the same house as them makes him think twice about his volume sound before speaking. "Aren't you should sleeping in your own room?!"

The female soccer player only stared at him in the same sleepy half lidded eyes as she pushed herself to the sitting pose as well; sitting on her butt while her knees are touching each other right on the mattress with her body stood straight, but her neck slightly tilted at her side. And how he blamed the moonlight that shined right at her makes her pale skin and light blue locks glowing so beautifully. Her chuckle is the thing that snapped his daze again, makes his shocked and panicked onyx orbs meets her soft and sleepy half lidded sapphire orbs.

"Yes…" she answered, and her sleepy voice really does sound sexy right now. "But that doesn't matter, does it?"

Okay, something is off with his 'step sister'.

"A-are you alright, Shi?" he asked, slightly worried and scared, much to his admit. He felt bad feelings from the way the girl slowly crawled towards him all fours, and since he's already backing against the wall and there's clearly no room on the bed, he had no escape.

The girl only chuckled at the question as she slowly approaching her 'step brother' in the team. As she is close enough to feel his breath on her own, she chuckled again and drags her finger up from the mattress to the white sweatshirt the onyx eyed male is wearing right now. "I'm fine…" she purred lowly as her finger travels right above his chest towards his neck now. "However…" she paused as her finger now reaching the jaw, then she raised her palm towards his cheek as she looked deep to those onyx orbs. "You seem have a different case…"

Gouenji couldn't tell how panicked he is when he saw the pale face of Shi is so close to him, and he tried to suppress the shivers through his body when his warm skin make a contact of her cold ones, but somehow it's felt good having her cold temperature on him, especially on his burning cheeks.

"W-what are you talking abo-" his question is suddenly stuck on his throat when he felt another hand comes up and settled on his chest, right above his madly beating heart. '_Somebody, just kill me…_' he thought in his mind when he stared at his 'step' sister's smiling face when she noticed the beating heart. On top of that, she seemed pleased by it.

"It's so fast there, _brother_…" he swore the way she purred like that drives him insane, and left him immobilize as he watched her face become closer and closer towards him. He could feel the cold that radiates from her, and her cold fresh breath over his lips. Talking about lips, the distance of their lips are only a gap that can simply broke with one motion.

In the closeness between them, he could saw how pale her skin is, how smooth her face looking that make his fingers aching to touch it, how perfectly trimmed her light blue eyebrows are, how long those beautiful eyelashes are, and he then noticed they are dark blue that is close to black, and how pink and smooth that lips looking which make him aching to make them swollen red. He also could see how beautiful those blue sapphire orbs of her, and the deep color of them that makes him felt lost…

And just as he about to dip his head towards her to capture those tempting lips, everything suddenly goes black and the annoying sound of his alarm phone make him really snapped his eyes open, only to find it's already morning; obvious from the sunrays that cast in his room with his phone kept buzzing the annoying sound. Realizing what he just dreaming off, he abruptly took a sitting position on his bed, almost knocking away his blanket in process. He could feel his heart racing and his breath become uneven as he scanned the whole room. Right… this is Shi's guest room… and he's here because the whole team decided to sleepover at her house at the holiday in their captain's request. But somehow that doesn't explain about the dream he just experienced.

He let out a frustrated groan as he covered his face with his palms, and rubbing his face in attempt to calm down himself. There's no way he could able to dream such dreams, more of that, about _her_.

Ever since Wakusei Shi became officially their female player after Afuro Aoi, Aphrodi's younger twin sister and Suzuno Hikari, Gazelle's twin sister, they became a great partner at each other that they even can tell what the other's thinking without pointing out of it. And because of that closeness, they saw each other as close family, and ever Fudou mocked them with sister and brother thing. But then, honestly he simply doesn't mind about the sibling thing; they actually have the strong bond that match the strongest sibling's bond.

But somehow, there's something wrong with his body that caused him to dream his 'step' sister in such way. He always looked at her as friend, best friend, teammate, and sister. Nothing less and nothing more than that. So why…

….he dreamed things that he shouldn't dream?

. **.** .

"Ohayou, Gouenji-kun." Fubuki Shiroi greeted his slightly yawning friend as he stepped in the view of the living room. The others are there as well, even few aren't. "How was your sleep?"

The flame striker's movement suddenly becomes a halt as he heard the word 'sleep', which make him remembered his last night dream, and brought red colors on his cheeks. But he quickly suppresses them and instead he answered his fellow friend calmly. "Good." He glad his simple answer is enough to satisfied the grey haired defender, but the half haired boy beside him is clearly make a death of him.

"Really?" he swore he could hear mischief there which makes him feel Goosebumps. And the way the ex-Teikoku grinning at him really confirms it. "Because I saw you're blushing just a few moments ago~"

He swore he's going to wipe that grin off that stupid face but before he could retorted, a rather loud, and deep grunt from behind them make them jolted in surprise. They all looked towards the source of the voice, only to see the certain light blue haired female player laid her shoulder against the wall, looking so sleepy with her cloudy half lidded blue sapphire orbs directed to the group in her living room, crocking one of her elegant eyebrow at them.

"Good morning, Shi!" Fubuki greeted, happy to see his best friend finally showed up. "How was your sleep?"

"Nothing extraordinary…" is her sleepy respond as she let out a stuffed yawn behind her hand while she pushed herself off from the wall towards the kitchen. But then, she stopped a track right in the middle of the way. The boys in the room can tell her sharp nose caught something as it sniffing in the air like a wolf. "…where are that blasted Shadow and Miss Hikari?" she questioning to the whole boys in the same room as her, her low animalistic growl make them suddenly frightened, not to the mention of her blue sapphire eyes sharpen in a glare towards the innocent wall in front of her.

Everyone faces paled when they saw the glare and scrambled away from the ice striker. Gouenji, being the closest to her, felt himself pale, but he still could stand on his feet. He then with calm gesture pointed towards the hallway where the guest rooms are, and he really taken back in surprise when his 'step' sister take a sharp turn and bolted towards it. He looked at the direction where she just disappeared with a comical sweat drop. And the next loud yell and a hitting sound surely make him flinch almost instantly.

Well, that is his 'step' sister.

. **. **.

In between the silence in the dining room where everyone silently eating their breakfast, none of them dare to break the said silence since Shi returned with the half beating Shadow and really panicked Suzuno Hikari. But however, as usual, the captain of the Raimon will gladly break the ice that no one dares to break.

. **. **.

"Festival?!" the whole team except the captain almost scream on top of their lungs when their captain goalkeeper declared that. The said brunette only nodded eagerly at them as he showed a poster. It showed a promotion of a matsuri festival, which from the location that described on it, is not far from the town.

Shi let out a deep growl which makes everyone's spine went up from fear. "And don't tell me you're going to drag _all of us_ to that stupid festival…"

Endou could only smile nervously as he fully aware of the mean of that death glare of her. It might be not as bad as Aka's, but it still creepy as hell. "Well… we're friends after all!" he grinned towards the ice striker despite his fear of dying under her glare. "It wouldn't be that bad, right?"

The girl only let out another deep growl, which make the flame striker who's sitting at her side have another comical sweat drop as he continued finishing his breakfast. Shi always hate crowded place, she always do. Last time Fubuki dragged her to a reunion party with the others team they fight against during their matches and FFI, let just say her mood isn't that good when it's over.

As they kept arguing, Gouenji once again lost in his thoughts. His mind is wandering again to his previous dream about his so-called step sister, Shi. Just like at time like this, he able to look at her like his own sister, but somehow his unpleasant(honestly, not that unpleasant) dream really do its job to make him thinking over again about his feelings towards his ice partner.

Honestly, they went together like most of siblings do; they played soccer together, attending to school together, practicing together, and sometimes they study together when one of them asked to. They often hanging out together, chatting, joking around, and laughed together like an idiot. They also trusted each other more than the old buddies can do; it proved with their perfectly combined hissatsus. And at those times, Gouenji could feel that he saw her as if she's his real sibling. The feelings he felt is the same as the feelings that he felt towards Yuuka(and that is a family and bro-sis feeling, not that romantic ones), but he could feel his bond with Shi are far more stronger.

He never thinking that the feelings that he felt is Love. It never occurs in his mind. But anyway, when he gets near Shi it just like when he nears his own dear family. Shi maybe as cold as ice, but for him, her presence alone is already makes him felt comfortable… As if he can lay on her and counting on her of his safety, as if he could tell her anything and he would feel free and light, but…

_Is this Love?_

"Oi, Gouenji!"

That call snapped him off his daze and immediately he looked up, only to find everyone is looking at him, even Shi, which makes him felt nervous all of sudden. "…what?"

The redhead of the team, Kiyama Hiroto, elegantly raised an eyebrow at his fellow forward friend. "Are you listening, Gouenji?"

Everyone looked at him also with the same strange look as they observed the flame striker's face. Only Shi's face that remains stoic with the same cold eyes, but those cold sapphire orbs are surely directed towards him, and he swore if her face isn't monotone, her eyebrow will be also raised up at his weird act. "….something's wrong?" her gentle voice asked, almost in a whisper, but Gouenji still could heard it, also everyone else in the room.

"No, no, nothing is wrong." He glad he didn't let his panic slip to his voice. If even the single hint of panic it would be immediately noticed by his 'step' sister, and he really didn't feel like discussing his weird dream to her. If he need to, he'll avoid his 'step' sister every single time she's suspecting something from him. "Now what is it again?"

. **.** .

Right at the front entrance of the matsuri festival, everyone that walked right towards it immediately is being attracted by the group of boys that waiting right nears it. The girls (somehow, obviously) are immediately set their eyes at the familiar (not to mention hot) soccer players from Japan. In yukata.

Gouenji let out a disturbed sigh as he saw some of the fangirls took their picture from afar but not dare to move closer. The flame striker wears a darker shade of orange and red that resembling a fire itself along with fire pattern from golden at the bottom of the yukata. He looked down at his yukata and no matter how many time he's inspecting the every details of it, he really couldn't believed that _this_ actually a handmade by one of _his_ friends in the very _same_ age. Well, younger, actually. But then, he shouldn't underestimate Aoi's talented hands.

He looked up to his others friends that with him –Endou is obvious, Hiroto, Someoka, Kidou, Fudou, Shadow, Tobitaka, Tsunami, and surprisingly, Fideo. They're in the yukatas that Aoi made special for them.

Endou is in dark brown yukata with thunder bolts sewing on it which the biggest at the bottom of the yukata. Hiroto's deep blue with purple patterns that resembling falling meteors; maybe Aoi got the idea from his hissatsu; Ryuusei Blade. Someoka had this ocean blue yukata with downwards zigzag patterns on the fabric with Aoi added a huge pattern of a dragon with darkest shade of blue at the right side of the yukata.

Tobitaka's yukata is the deepest purple that almost close to black with lighter purple pattern of eagle, also at the bottom of his yukata. And he must admit the way Aoi made that eagle is really neat. And he knew better than being curious about her secret; Aoi have her own way and more of it, his 'step' sister will beat whoever it is onto half of their lives. Lucky it's not Aka, because he's sure they'll ended up dead.

Tsunami's yukata is the mix of colors that clearly resembling the sea itself, with Aoi added some white patterns as the white waves with her paint which resolve a gentle touch of white. Shadow, resembling his name, in a black yukata with touches of waves and mist of dark purple and violet, and a bit of darkest shade of blue. Fideo didn't wear yukata that is Aoi's handmade, as no one expecting him to visit them yesterday, but the Italian boy is fine with it. He's wearing a white with a bit touch of blue and green yukata, and Aoi added it with a pattern of Italia flag symbol right at the top of the heart.

Fudou is wearing a deep violet yukata, also from Aoi, with some patterns of connecting swirls at the end of the yukata and pair of demon wings across the left shoulder, sewed with deep red while the swirls in deep emerald just like his eyes color.

As for Kidou, his yukata is dark blue with swirls-like-mist patterns at the bottom of his yukata lined in deep red, same as his eyes color- talking about that, the brunette not wearing his goggles today, instead he's wearing a fashion white glasses as the replacement. And from the glare that he's receiving when he asked about those spectacles, he simply assumed that it had to do with Haruna's whines also Aoi's beg as the backup. Why the golden eyed girl helped the manager he had no idea.

Talk about the younger girl, it seems that she's pretty much hanging around with the Italian brunette and it's pretty much being dragged away by Kidou, remembering that the midfielder brunette treat her as his younger sister. As he understands his feelings, but he can't help but think that he actually went abroad it, far more worse than Aphrodi.

He let out a sigh as he laid his back against the tree trunk right behind him. The girls, and the ukes of the couples (Endou, Hiroto, Tsunami, Tobitaka and surprisingly, Someoka and Fudou) are the one that make them must standing like an idiot and become the center of public attention (especially fangirls).

But then, now he thinks about it properly…. He still doesn't know how he should call his feelings towards Shi from now on now. He never see her as someone like a lover, but the dream that he received past these days clearly showed that he also seems didn't saw her as his sister as well. Not that he didn't care about the girl like that; he cared, but even after since the so-not-innocent dreams he had about his 'step' sister, he now confused about the feelings he's harbored towards her. Is it the Love of brother and sister, or the Love of lovers?

But anyway, it seems he needs to consider about that later.

He perked up at the sounds of the girls, also the ukes, approaching them, and he can say the sight really, and truly eye catchers.

There are they, the other group that make them waiting for damn 17 minutes long; all in yukatas. As for the managers, they all in the common girl's yukatas with Aoi added small touch on it like adding small flower right on top of the heart or making borders at the edge of the yukata, and that's only adding the beauty more than before.

But on top of all, are the three soccer player girls and the ukes in the team.

Kazemaru is wearing forest green yukata with Aoi added some silver patterns of winds on it. Midorikawa's is in a dark blue yukata with green emerald patterns and he knows Hiroto is going to give the blonde hair girl a tip for that incredible complicated, but beautiful patterns. Fubuki had white mixed grey with Aoi make a pattern of cute wolf babies that indeed somehow, makes him look cute.

Toramaru is in black with golden swirls, with pattern of tiger at the bottom of the yukata, and he immediately know the girl make it so he could match with his lover, Tobitaka. Somehow, Tachimukai is in pink, and Aoi sews patterns like waves right at the bottom of the yukata mixed with baby blue borders, and somehow it suits him.

Sakuma is wearing a cherry red yukata, with swirls as the pattern of it that is just like his amber eyes. Sakuma's yukata's swirls is seems far more complicated that Fudou's and Kidou's, but damn he'll be lying if he say that the swirls patterns doesn't suit the red cherry yukata and the person who wears it.

All of them actually in girl yukatas and their hair are really modeled by the managers and maybe some help from Aoi and Hikari, judging the braided hairs and the hair accessories and head accessories of them.

Talk about the two girls, Hikari is wearing a light blue yukata with silver snowflakes patterns on it that he presume is Aoi's handmade. Between her blue-silver locks, there's a hair pin of Daisy; her favorite flower(and he discovers this along with the others when they play Truth or Dare). She's carrying a blue with white bag pouch that really goes to her yukata and the mini decoration of daisy flower that really match her hair pin, and he knew the one that is smart enough to style her like that is none other the younger twin sister of Afuro Terumi, Afuro Aoi.

Aoi herself is in a white yukata that really matched her with a bit touch of golden-ish yellow that mixed between the white, also there's pattern of feathers at the bottom of the yukata and the pair of wings pattern across her shoulders to her front. And from how it sewed like that, it obviously not Aoi's job. It's not like it's not as neat as her, it's neat, but it had different touch from Aoi's neat handwork. But it matched the younger girl, anyway. She had her whole hair braided to a simple, loose braided style over her shoulder which decorated with small pearls and wings hair tie at the end of the braided hair. And damn does she look gorgeous.

But then, the last is the surprise.

Gouenji swore he sucked up a breath when he saw his 'step' sister stepping in the view. He (and maybe the others as well) expected her to wear the male yukata since she always hate being girly, but then, Aoi and Hikari must be doing a miracle that they can make the ice-hearted female in the group stuck in one of female yukata, and probably also with the help of Aki, judging her victorious smile as she walked beside the grumpy blue sapphire eyed girl.

The yukata that Shi's wore are obvious white snow, with Aoi added some color of dark blue at each edges of it, and ice-looking patterns, painted obviously from Aoi's delicate hands, and really it looks really matched the light blue haired girl. Shi wore a plain choker around her neck, icy blue color with single diamond as decoration at the center. Her hair also over shoulder, but it only tied with a simple white ribbon with small crystal at the end of it. Other than that they let her hair plain, but that really do a good job for letting out her natural beautifulness, because damn she looks really gorgeous in that yukata.

And he might be wanted to chance the 'good job' to an 'amazing job', because his heart felt stopped when he saw the ice striker that became his partner.

Fudou looked up and down at Shi while Sakuma is nearing him (**Me: yea, FudoSaku moment here, so shut up haters!**) and snickered as he saw the icy glare from her. "Nice outfit." He mocked, still snickering behind his palm.

Shi only rolled her eyes as she felt more and more annoyed than she should. Really, if it's not because of Aoi, Hikari, and for making it worse, Aki, she would be gladly grab her favorite leather turtle neck sleeveless outfit and a male yukata that just similar to hers now. But luckily Aoi already make the bottom as near as the males so Shi won't have trouble walking in it. And that's understanding side of her mistress that makes her felt more loved by everyone around her, especially Fideo and Kidou. (**Me: what? Is there anything wrong with this crack? Anyway, I just felt like it in this story :P**)

"Oh, thank you for the compliment." She said, sarcasm is really clear in her words and tone. And as the prize, she gets an elbow jab right at her side under her ribs. She growled lowly behind her throat as she glared at the manager that –unfortunately for her- became one of her best friend, else Fubuki, of course. Aki only shot her back with a scolding glare before turned to the rest of the team.

"_Jaa_, _minna_! Let's go inside, shall we?"

. **. **.

And that's how it is. Now they found themselves in the middle of the crowds in the festival, looking around the stands that presentable all the way. They had a momentarily stop at the masks stand and some of them –obviously boys- buying it before they stopped at the takoyaki stand to have something to eat. (and it obvious that the pairings are sharing the takoyaki together)

Now the boys are waiting for the girls and the ukes as they all rushed to the jewelry stand, add Aki dragged Shi to the stand which earning suppressed laughs from her male teammates and that quickly rewarded by a death glare from the ice female soccer player, effectively make their mouths shut, except certain players who already immune of the glare.

Gouenji only chuckled as he shook his head at his 'step' sister's attitude. Well, who he can blame? Shi obviously hates jewelry and Aki also obviously make it as her advantage to mock the other girl to death. He could say that the brunette manager is lucky for few things; one, she's the best friend of Wakusei Shi; two, she is the friend of Afuro Aoi and Suzuno Hikari; three, this is public, so she really completely avoided the possibility of being slaughtered by the ice wolf striker. (**Me: yea, Shi is ice wolf striker, because she's the striker with ice, and sometimes she's resembling a wolf, so yeah :D**)

But then, as soon as Shi crossed into his mind, all that he able to think about is the confusion of his feelings. His mind is so distracted before that he didn't able to think properly about it, or there would be an awkward tense between him and his 'step' sister, and somehow, deep in the back of his mind, he didn't want that. Because he had a feeling that will also make their relationship will be broke and will never being able to fix to its current state.

And he really didn't want to lose her. He's the first person that she trusted, and he will keep his promise of staying by her side. If he losing her then… how he supposed to keep it?

As he's in deep thought, once again, he clearly didn't noticed that his fellow friends are staring at him with weird look on their faces, but somehow, Kidou could only looked at him understandingly as he already guessed what's in his friend's mind now.

He poked at the others around him and ushered them to be closer to he could tell them the plan in his mind. Maybe it wouldn't help the flame striker that much, but at least he can try to help him find the answer he's looking for in deep inside his heart. He knew it because he experienced the same thing with Aoi, and maybe if this works, if his assumption is right, then there's nothing should be worried about the two golden partners in Raimon team.

. **. **.

After few minutes, maybe 10 minutes later, Gouenji Shuuya, the forward number 10 of Raimon, Inazuma Japan player only had one thing in his mind.

…_How the hell I ended up like this?_

Last thing he remembered is Endou asking for him to buy another takoyaki for him because the brunette goalkeeper said that he's terribly hungry and had no power to walk back towards the stand. He should've known he shouldn't trust that pleading and pained look on his brunette captain anymore. Turns out he's not that innocent.

Because now, at the spot where his fellow friends previously standing at, he saw his 'step' sister instead of them.

And at this circumstance, anyone can't hold back their shock. "Shi!?"

The said girl only turned her head towards him, looking at him with those cold and sharp blue sapphire orbs. Her eyebrow raised as she looked at her 'step' brother, a takoyaki pack is in his hand. "Hey." is her only simple greeting, clearly didn't fazed at the shock face on the flame striker's face.

"What are you doing here?" he asked as he tried his best to overcome his shock, and suddenly he had bad feelings. '_Don't tell me…_'

Shi only kept staring at him, studying his face and obviously, his onyx orbs with her blue sapphire one. "…Endou told me to wait here as he and the others went to somewhere to fetch something, he said that they will be back." The way her eyebrows frowned a moment later clearly signaling that she hasn't done yet filling him with information. "Come to think about it… when I agreed, he seemed looked at that blasted goggle freak…"

…and he really should've known that Kidou is behind this. Damn him. Didn't he know that this isn't the best time?

Gouenji almost jumped as Shi finally pushed her body from the tree trunk behind her and started walked away, looking at him with those sharp eyes, motioning him to come along. He didn't need her to say it out loud; their bond as 'step' siblings already make them understand each other without any of them saying anything. So he only walked to his 'step' sister's side and with that they walked together, mostly being lead by Shi.

"So what's with that extra takoyaki?" he heard his 'step' sister asked him without even break her gaze from between the crowds to search for their friends. The platinum haired boy only let out a sigh before he answered short, "Endou."

There's a moment of silence between them before the male striker hearing a low growl from behind his 'step' sister's throat, and he knew that once the female striker met the brunette goalkeeper and midfielder, let just say that he won't help them escaping from Shi's rage since they deserved it.

But then, let just shall see the outcome first, then he will decide if it's better to let them go or to let his 'sister' kill them.

He then heard a sigh from Shi, a tired one, much to his amusement, before the girl spoken up. "I guess we had no choice but to explore this blasted festival alone; I didn't see any of them in my sight."

Somehow, he'll definitely get both Endou and Kidou for this, and if his 'step' sister really planned to strangle them then he saw no reason to stop her.

. **.** .

Both Gouenji and Shi really ended up exploring the festival stands, just both of them, and Gouenji will be lying if he said that he didn't have a lot of fun. They have a bunch, indeed. Even though they only looking around the stands, buying something that really caught their deepest interest, get something to drink or eat, but it really lots of fun between them. On top of that, when they went to the games stands.

"Okay, three rounds. The one that can get the arrow perfectly at the middle two from three, wins, and the loser must paid the payment." The challenging smirk from the light blue haired girl beside him really makes him itching to take her down, and the challenge is what he takes from her.

"Each round, one time shot. Deal?" he challenged back with his own smirk. They both now at the arrow throwing game stand, where they must threw a small needle arrow at the target 2 meters away from them and if they could get it hit on certain areas of the target, they also will win certain prizes. The one that get hit in the middle will win the prize that they choose on their own at the stand. And so that's how they come up with a challenge on it.

The said girl only let out a 'humph' with her smirk still on her face as her fingers already grasped the needle arrow. "Deal." Is what she said and probably her last warning as she swung her hand towards her target, and Gouenji couldn't help but felt his jaw dropped when the needle stuck right at the middle of the target, right in the very MIDDLE of the target. He looked flabbergasted as his 'step' sister, who smirked mischievously at him. "Your turn, _brother_~" the girl purred, and in her blue sapphire orbs there's challenging glint which make him somehow fired up but felt doubted as well. He definitely forgot that there's no way Shi picks up a challenge that she couldn't manage.

The end result, 2-0 for Shi in two rounds. And he must pay 500 yen for it as the deal.

. **.** .

"I can't believe I lost on that…" the platinum haired striker said, still sulking about his lost on the bets between him and his ice partner. The said ice partner only snickered slightly at him as she holding a lion doll in her hand, and they have to admit that doll is pretty cute. He doesn't know why his 'step' sister picked on that from all the prizes in the game stand, but the girl seems liked it and he's not the one who complaining on that.

"Deal with it, brother." She snapped lightly as she still snickered towards him, the doll in her grasp as she kept walked with Gouenji in tow, talk about the fire forward, in his hands there are the prizes that Shi won during their bets(actually she wins all of it :D) that they shoved in shopping paper bags.

Gouenji only let out a defeated sigh at that, but the happy hums and the happy smile on his 'step' sister's cold face as she looked down at the lion doll in her fingers isn't going unnoticed by his onyx orbs, and that brought a small smile on his own face.

"Hey, Shi?" he called gently as he walked a little bit faster so he's at her side instead few centimeters behind her. She only hummed as the respond as her blue sapphire still locked at the doll beneath her. And the gentleness in those usual cold sapphire orbs is really didn't go unnoticed by her 'step' brother. "I had been curious since you win our bet at the arrow throwing game stand…" at this, she tilted her head a little more upwards as she looked at him from the corner of her eyes. There's no sign of glare in her eyes, not even an annoyance, just curiosity. "…why from all the prizes you pick that doll? I mean, it's not like I bothered with that but…"

Shi only raised an eyebrow at his doubts on continuing his own words, so she decided to step in. "Curious?"

"Pretty much." Is his immediately answer as he stared at his 'sister', right at those blue sapphire orbs that seemed twinkled when the light reflected to it and how- okay, he need to stop his ridiculous thoughts before he doing something that he surely will regret for the entire of his life. As long as he still doubted his form of feelings towards his 'step' sister, he needs to control his crazy minds about her. He didn't want to break this comfortable and warm bonds that he shared with her, not just yet…

The girl that walked beside him only hummed lowly as she's deep in her own thought, searching for the answer. So it's surely not a surprise when he saw his 'sister' slightly shrugged her shoulder uncaringly as she held the doll close to her which make him immediately felt jealous on the fluffy thing. "I don't know, actually, but this doll kind of reminded me of you so…"

Oh, she really had no idea that she's going to make him have a heart attack when he heard that. He swore he could feel his face heated up and his cheeks burning, also the uncontrollable heart beat that threatening to break out from his ribcages.

He quickly looked away before the ice striker beside him took notice of his red face, but then he immediately noticed a clearing as they both kept walked to the end of the rows of stands. "Hey, Shi." He gently nudged his 'sister', capturing her attention from the doll to him. "I think the fireworks show about to start, let's go search for a spot."

And somehow, he really didn't expect that the girl will easily agreeing it.

. **. **.

Gouenji and Shi finally decided to take a spot at the meadow near the clearing where mostly people gathered there for the fireworks show. The flame striker is clearly aware of Shi that hate crowded place so they come to an agreement to watch the fireworks at the meadow.

The onyx eyed forward gently set down the bags on the green covered ground as he took a seat on it, with Shi sat beside him, the lion doll is now crushed to her chest and yea, he felt incredibly jealous on that doll.

The flame striker quickly shook it off and decided to look up at the night sky above them, and surely he felt really familiar with this; him and Shi sit together like this, sitting on the grass covered earth, while gazing up at the night sky full of stars. But the difference is, they definitely didn't wear yukata, there are no shopping bags full of prizes at Gouenji's side, and definitely no festival stands just few meters from the meadow they're sitting on.

While they wait for the fireworks show, Gouenji used the time to think over his feelings towards Shi. Is he really loved her that way? But it seems impossible, because they had just spent their time together just like siblings, and he knew from the look from the people around them as they explored the stands, they would likely think the same too. But from between them he recognizes some looks as if they both were dating.

The fire user could feel his cheeks heated up in embarrassment at that, because he's pretty much still look at Shi as his younger sister, even his body seems not treat her like that again and start corrupting his mind with the stupid dreams and start thinking about the things he shouldn't think about his 'step' sister. Even though he could feel at the corner of his heart that he doesn't mind about it, but he also aware it felt so wrong. It just like you're thinking things like that about your own family.

"Hey, Gouenji." He lucky he could hide his jump and quickly turned down his blush when he heard that gentle, sweet voice called him. Wait, he just did it again, didn't he? "Yes?" he turned his head to look at his ice partner, and he really couldn't hide his surprised jump when he noticed she's way _too_ close to him, staring at him with that same cold blue sapphire eyes, but the hint of gentleness in those blue orbs makes his cheeks quickly burned and he could only really hoped that the dim light of night masked his blush.

The girl reached out of her hand, and slightly tugged at his yukata's sleeve, make him blinked confusedly at her before letting his arm being guided by Shi's own cold hand(which he always wondered why the hell she still felt so cold like she just get through a winter the day before, which is not). He looked down at his open palm with Shi's own palm right guided it to between them and he saw Shi's other hand, which is slightly fisted together, moved to the top of his palm and as the small, delicate fingers (he noticed how slim they are now) started to uncurl themselves, he saw as something small and cold dropped to his palm and his eyes widened when he saw a single earring, with a small ruby with small fire figure inside it as it glinted slightly even in the lack of light. The earring is not that girly, but not that manly either, just enough standard for both male and female could wear.

But he really surprised that the girl bothered to buy this for him. He really won't except that from the girl, and the kind of gift is somewhat fitting her, but he definitely isn't going to complain about it.

"Is this for me, Shi?" he questioned the girl in front of him. He tried to mask his amusement from his eyes glint, but he really couldn't hold the amusement that slip from his mouth. And he really showed his amusement when he saw the blue sapphire eyed girl blushed pink that is clear on her pale white cheeks and turned around, humping as she crossed her arms in annoyed manner. "Don't get it wrong; it's Aki's idea. She said that I supposed to give you something…"

"For?" he urged her, or more, to provoke her to speak further. Honestly he had been curious about the brunette manager that kept edging his 'step' sister until she agreed on that. Somehow, it must be had to do with their little chit-chat all of this time, right when they're speaking behind his back. But he knew better that to point it out, the girls' problem is the thing that he shouldn't disturb, especially when it comes to Shi. Despite her cold and hard nature, she's incredibly sensitive at something such as personal as that.

He raised an eyebrow as the girl suddenly went silent, her back still facing him. The onyx eyed boy almost about to ask her what's wrong when he heard an incoherent mumbles from her. "What…?"

"I said…." The girl raised her voice slightly, and the flame striker definitely clearly hears the embarrassment that leaked from her voice. "…it's for… being able to put up with me…" this only make him blinked in confusion before he heard her continuing her words. "Also it's for…. the times that we spend… together…"

This, clearly brought another bright blush on Gouenji's cheek, and it grew hotter as he noticed that Shi is also blushing all of the time. He looked down at the earring on his palm, and slightly clenched the cold material as he completely aware that there's no way he could hide the huge blush on his face now.

"…Shi?"

"Hn?"

"…Thanks."

"…You're welcome."

There's definitely a silence between them as Gouenji kept spacing out at the night sky and Shi fidgeting at the lion doll that had once forgotten when she gave Gouenji his present. The onyx eyed forward then shifted his gaze from the sky to the earring in his palm, he still didn't wear it because he definitely won't risk it in such lack of source light. He then remembered when he also acquired a prize when they both put a bet on the arrow throwing game stand. Well, actually, at that time, his accuracy isn't that bad, but it didn't hit the middle like Shi's does, just really _really _close to it. He rummaged at his yukata pocket, and the unpleasing fabric sound of course didn't go unnoticed by the ice striker that is sitting beside him.

"…what are you doing?" her blush already died down long time ago, and her sapphire orbs already back to the usual cold sapphire, but the gentleness still present in both of her eyes and voice. Gouenji only murmured a quick 'wait for a sec' at her as he kept rummaging the pocket for the damn thing. Where is it again? And he really couldn't hide his triumph face when his fingers touched something solid, cold, and _round_. "Found it." He murmured lowly to himself as he fished out the material out from his yukata pocket, and quickly clenching it around his fist before the sharp blue eyes beside him catch a glimpse of it.

He turned his head towards the very confused glance from Shi as she kept staring at him, not speaking up any words as she waited for him to start first.

"Remember when we're at the arrow throwing game stand?" the girl only nodded slightly, and with that he continued his words as he directed the fisted hand towards her, and the girl in instinct opened her palm right at beneath it, still looked confused as heck of her 'step' brother's behavior.

He didn't planned to take an advantage, but once he placed his hand as he uncurled his fisted fingers right on her palm, he could feel how smooth and soft her pale skin felt under his own rough and hard as he placed the thing that he kept in his fist to Shi's palm, and as he take his hand back he definitely had no intention of feel the smooth skin under his finger a little bit more as he slowly revealed the tiny material to Shi. He's clearly debating if the changes of Shi's eyes from curious and confused to the shocked widen ones, are a good sign or not.

Right on her palm now, is a simple silver ring, adorned with the ice shard shaped transparent blue-ish diamond with the smaller version right at the both sides of it. The diamonds looked like an ice crown instead of the diamond accessories from the purposely rough cuts and the simple touch make it really looked like an ice shard instead of diamonds.

Shi stared down at the ring on her palm. Her face still held the same shock eyes widen face, and as minutes passed, Gouenij couldn't help but felt nervousness growing each time he felt the time tickling as if waiting for the bomb to explode.

But then, it seems like his head that going to explode instead when he saw her picked up the ring from her palm and slipped it on her ring finger slowly, gently. The ring is perfectly fit to her slim fingers as it reached the very bottom of it and perfectly circled the base of her finger. Shi raised her ringed finger, inspecting it from side to side and accidentally saw how it glinted beautifully when the dim light reflected to it, which make her gasping slightly in surprise. Shi stared down at the ring, then up to the number 10 player of Raimon in front of her. The nervousness in his eyes is pretty much hard to miss for someone like her.

The light blue haired girl only give him a soft smile, matched to that softening gaze that she gives to him, and she clearly had no idea that she almost caused him have a heart attack from his crazy beating heart.

"Thank you." She murmured softly as she traced the rough but delicate cuts of the diamonds with the tip of her fingers. "I'll keep it with my best…"

Damn, that beautiful smile should be illegal; it's really bad for his heart.

And really, who could blame him when his body jumped slightly when the girl decided to look up and reached for the earring in his palm, make another skin contact before she raised the earring to near his face.

"What are you doing?" he found himself asked as he could feel her cold, gentle breath near his ear and neck as the girl scooted closer to him. He swore he felt his spine went up when that freezing breath from her mouth touched his burning skin from heat.

"To help you to put this on." She simply answered as her fingertips traced for the earring hole. When she found it, she then gently slipped the earring in, afraid to hurt her step brother more than necessary, that if it could. "At first I didn't believe what Aki said when she told me you have an earring hole."

The flame striker watched his partner's movement from the corner of his eyes, and he resisted the urge to jerk away from her cold fingers as it touched his ear shell. Damn, how can she's able to be this _cold_ despite the air around them and at the festival stands are _hot_, but he not the one that complaining, actually the feel of her freezing skin on his burning one is just make him crazy.

"How the hell she noticed that…?" his question turned to a murmur as he kept watched her movements, _every _single of her movements, and the curves of her body. But he quickly gathered himself before he thinks anything further about her like _that_ as he saw that soft looking pink rosy lips curled up to a small smile as she chuckled, and God, does that deep chuckle is sound sexy near his ear.

"Aki is _Aki_, you better don't want to bother her secret."

He let out his own chuckle at that. Everyone knows what will happen if you dare to try to find out about Aki's secret, in anything. Kogure is the example that makes it clear at one incident. "You're right." He murmured softly as he tried his best to not shiver when there's more of skin touch, and her breath near his ear clearly didn't help at all.

"It's done." She murmured as her fingers slipped away from his ear, and he clearly wished that the pang of disappointment didn't clear on both his face and eyes. But then, their eyes met in another eye contact as they both turned to face each other, and as if there's magnet, somehow none of them willing to move their gaze away from each other eyes, and they seemed really didn't fazed by the fact they both are so close that their lips _almost _brushing with each other.

Gouenji couldn't help but feel this situation is really a grave danger for them both and their relationship as friends and family. But he couldn't look away from that white pale face, framed with her light blue hair bangs that fit so perfectly to her, those dark blue long lashes, those pink rosy lips, and on top of that, _those blue sapphire orbs_…

But before any of them saying or doing anything, their attention is interrupted by a light shone followed by exploded sound in the sky. As their eyes directed to the sky, they just in time saw another firework shoot towards the sky and exploded, spread various colors in the night sky, quickly followed by the others.

Both Gouenji and Shi watched with fascinated as the sky filled with more and more fireworks filling it with its various colors. As their attention are occupied with the fireworks show that displaying at the sky, they clearly not noticed that they both are too close to comfort until they felt their hands bumping each other. They both looked at each other again then down at their touching hands before both of them moved away from each other as they looked at the other side to hide their both bright cheeks.

And as another firework shoot towards the sky, they both decided to watch it than having an awkward atmosphere between them.

It's turns out it's not that bad; sitting between the grasses while watching fireworks filling the night sky, enjoying the magnificent view of the colorful blooming flowers above the clearings. The loud sound maybe a bit unbearable for Shi who had sensitive hearing sense, but even without him looking, he knew she's enjoying the view as much as he do. This kind of silence is comfortable, he had to admit, and it's too comfortable to break.

"…Gouenji?"

At the call, the said flame striker turned his head towards the ice striker beside him, her gaze still fixed up to the sky where the fireworks still booming continuously. He clearly didn't mean to take an opportunity to watch Shi's white pale skin shone from the lights of the fireworks, and how that stunning pair of blue sapphire orbs seemed glinted in the various colors from the booming flowers between the dark skies of night. "Yes?" he voiced out his voice, indicating he's listening and urging her to tell him what she had in mind.

The light blue haired girl stared at the sky for a bit longer before the words escaped from that pair of those natural pink lips that had became his mostly secret attention since his body have this weird… _urges_…

"We're… always be together… right?"

This is of course taken him back by surprise. He never expecting such question from Shi, not that he ever expected anything from her. But then, he suddenly remembered how Shi would be feeling insecure and lonely, but she would keep it by herself until she can't take it. He remembered how Shi once broken down in front of him, remembered the feeling of how desperate she is to burst the hard feelings out from her chest, but she didn't able to. And he also remembered how she cares, not only just towards to him and Hikari, also to the others. He remembered when she pushed him over the edge and forced him to tell her everything and he remembered as he lean to her as she making a silent promise that she would always be there for him, he also remembered when that pair of slim hands wrapped around him in comforting, if not warm, embrace.

He knew their bonds are stronger than any siblings can, and he knew sometimes the girl only could depend of him. Because…

The onyx eyed male know she won't be able seeing it as her gaze still locked to the view before her, but he smiled at her, a soft, gentle smile as his features softened a bit and his eyes shone that gentleness that he showed to his sister (and he means Yuuka), when he watched the others as they spent their time together with joking around, bickering but never mean it, or just simply spending their time together for fun. And now, he directed it toward Shi, the one that he always treat as his sister, the one that became his partner, the one that always trusted him…

He nodded his head at her direction, making his earring moved slightly with his head motion. "…Yes… we're always be together." He said in full of confident as he watched for her reaction. Not long, the girl decided to change her attention from the fireworks towards her 'step' brother, so she turned her head to him, and staring at him with those _deep_ sapphire orbs. She finally noticed his gentle look and his soft smile, and giving him her own soft smile as she let the gentleness swept over her blue sapphire eyes, make it shone a soft gentle smile that matched her now softening features.

"Thank you, Gouenji… For everything…"

He could stare at that beautiful face all day; her features relaxed slightly, her white pale skin bathed with the colors from the fireworks, her sapphire eyes shined gently at the gentleness she never show, and her pink lips turned to a gentle smile, something that is rare to see from her, and he couldn't help the mad beating heart he's having right now.

But, he gained his composure and nodded at her direction, and they enjoyed the rest of the fireworks show before going back to Shi's house, hands linked with their fingers entwined with each other.

He maybe still don't know how to explain his feelings now, but he surely will figure it out one day, and whether it will bring their bond closer, or creating a distance between them, until that time, he'll make sure that he's stay by her side.

_Always…_

* * *

><p><strong>Me: Yes! Finally it finished! XD take longer than I thought it will… TT^TT<strong>

**Shi: (rolled her eyes) because you're a lazy ass.**

**Me: Hey~ please blame the writer's block.**

**Shi: and blame your stupidity.**

**Me: XP whatever. Anyway, there's extra story here so enjoy ^w^**

**Shi and Gouenji: you said what?!**

* * *

><p><strong>OMAKE<strong>

It turns out everyone had spying them the whole time, even including Aoi. And he's keeping his words on he's not stopping his 'step' sister for strangling both Endou and Kidou, but she is stopped by their respective lovers. And no one seemed didn't mind of Shi strangled Fudou for mocking him.

Now the two strikers are walking back towards Shi's house alone while the others said they still want to spend the night by drop a visit to Aoi's house, and of course they won't take Shi's threat lightly.

Their both hands are linked with each other as Gouenji's other hand are occupied with the shopping bags and Shi's other hand hugged the lion doll from before to her chest. None of them speak a word, but either of them willing to break this silence even after Fudou mocked them like that.

"_Nee, Gouenji?"_

"_What?"_

"_We saw you giving a ring to Shi; are you proposing her?"_

"_FUDOU!"_

And they still couldn't believe that the ex-Teikoku midfielder will come to that conclusion. For God's sake, it's not like Gouenji is the one who slipped the ring in to Shi's finger. And that's how they both ended up in the silence that they can't find whether it's comfortable or terribly awkward.

They both finally arrived at Shi's gate house and the owner of it only silently opened the gate and let them walked in before closing it behind them. They both walked towards the front door, and the flame striker silently handed the shopping bags to Shi as they let go their linked hands when they both stopped in front of the door entrance.

"…Thanks." She murmured gently as she took the bag after she unlocked the door. Gouenji only nodded silently at her and they fell back in the silence, don't know what to do and what to say. The onyx orbs owner saw Shi's troubled face as if she's debating on something in her inner conscious, and he really couldn't help the growing awkwardness as he raised his hand to rub the back of his neck that seemed rained in cold sweats.

"Err… so…" he gently started, and it really, really turned awkward between them. "I think I should be go home right-"

"Wait, Gouenji…"

The soft call cuts him out, and as he turned his head towards her direction as he's going to ask what's wrong, but instead of saying the words, he saw Shi's face is way _too_ close to his and he could feel a pair of soft lips just right at the corner of his own lips. Both of her hands are on his chest as she tilted her head up to kiss him, her prizes and doll lay forgotten on the ground.

Gouenji could feel how those pair of lips slowly kneaded against his skin and lips before being pulled away, her closed eyes reopened to half lidded and he could see how that beautiful sapphire orbs glinted in so _oh _beautiful way from the street and house lights around them. But there's something in them, something that she never showed to him or to the others before, and it only make those blue hues looked more beautiful than it already does.

They maybe will regret everything in the morning or just pretend there's nothing happened between them as Gouenji dipped his head towards her, finally unable to resist those rose pink lips, and he could feel the owner of that pair of lips kissed him back as their hands found each other, entwining their bodies as Gouenji hugged her waist and Shi wrapped her hands around his neck with one of her hands found itself in between the platinum locks.

And soon, they'd forgotten everything around them but each other as they find their way inside the house.

**OWARI**

* * *

><p><strong>Me: and… done! :D where's the fun if I didn't add this, right? ^w^ by the way, if anyone want the sequel of this just put the request in the review and maybe I'll comply it ^^ by the way, Happy New Year for all of us! And please review! Matta ne!<strong>


End file.
